How Fast Is Swarming Locust?

Locusts fly at about 18 km/h, but their real menace is in numbers. A single swarm can contain billions of insects, eating its own body weight in food daily — devastating crops across whole regions in a matter of days.

The largest locust swarm ever recorded held an estimated 1.3 trillion insects, weighing 12.5 million tonnes.

• 3.5× faster than walking
• Largest swarm on record: 1.3 trillion insects